When Mark Barlet realized there weren’t many gaming resources available for a friend with multiple sclerosis, he and Steven Spohn helmed a solution that would change countless lives. They created AbleGamers and turned a personal mission into a global vision of video game accessibility for all.
“AbleGamers hasn’t followed any path. We've created our own,” Spohn said. He's AbleGamers' COO and has spinal muscular atrophy, which attacks his muscles and limits movement from the neck down. “We entered an industry with a bunch of staircases and brought our own ramps."
Spohn said the “secret sauce” of AbleGamers is to “do as much good as we possibly can.” That’s a tall order when you consider there are 46 million people with disabilities in the United States alone, according to Spohn.
AbleGamers' impact on the disabled gaming community isn't always well publicized. In 2011, they unveiled the Adroit Switchblade, an accessible controller. Years later, Microsoft took notice, saw the controller’s potential and worked with AbleGamers in secret to create its spiritual successor, the Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC). This controller is a household staple for people with disabilities and is much more affordable than the Switchblade.
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Sign up for our Games newsletter and never miss our latest gaming tips, reviews, and features.According to Brannon Zahand, Senior Gaming Accessibility program manager at Microsoft, this new controller was the key to breaking down the "unintentional barrier" that kept people from playing games. Along with AbleGamers, Microsoft worked with multiple organizations, including the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, to provide "an effective, customizable solution for gamers with limited mobility."
AbleGamers offers Accessible Player Experiences, an intensive certification course to design games with an eye for accessibility. Every achievement within AbleGamers came from "sheer determination and will." They support innovative, specialized controllers and give them to gamers in need.
The Microsoft gaming accessibility boot camp is another route to create games for everyone, not just those who are able-bodied. Xbox accessibility guidelines are available to developers to "provide guardrails when developing their game and as a checklist for validating the accessibility of their title," Zahand said.
